Strike action by college lecturers continues this week

Lecturers in colleges across Scotland will continue with their programme of strike action today (Tuesday), and will also strike on Thursday this week as their industrial action escalates.

Published:10:17Tuesday 09 May 2017

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Further education lecturers in colleges across Scotland will continue with their programme of strike action today (Tuesday) and will also strike on Thursday this week as their industrial action escalates.

Lecturers have already taken two individual days of action in the current dispute over the past two weeks. The dispute is centred around the refusal of college management to honour a deal on equal pay that was agreed in March 2016 – more than one year ago.

Larry Flanagan, EIS General Secretary, said: “Further Education lecturers are stepping up their programme of industrial action this week over the continuing refusal of colleges to honour the deal they signed more than one year ago. While the EIS continues to offer solutions with a view to resolving this dispute, the intransigence of college management has forced lecturers into this escalation of strike action.”

He continued: “The EIS understands that students are being affected by this ongoing dispute, and we would urge college management to stop the negative rhetoric and commit to constructive dialogue with the EIS to agree a resolution. There is a growing risk that students sitting SQA courses, as well as those working on other programmes such as apprenticeships, could have the completion of their assessments negatively impacted by this ongoing dispute. The EIS is eager to avoid this from happening.”

Mr Flanagan added: “Lecturers do not want to strike, and are keen to return to working normally so that they can continue to offer as much support as possible to students. All that lecturers are asking for is that management honour the deal that they signed in March 2016. It is long overdue for colleges to meet this obligation and, if they continue to drag their feet, it is also now time for the Scottish Government to intervene to compel colleges to agree a resolution in the interests of students and lecturers in colleges across Scotland.”